General Chat

Hi everyone,
Gayle is waiting for the fistula to be placed in her arm for dialysis to begin, she says its annoying not knowing when the hospital will call her in. The longer she waits means treatment is delayed which is not good.
The change in seasons from summer into autumn means runny noses and of course colds as one never knows what to wear. I had a jersey on last Friday, got hot and took it off only problem was that the place I went to was quite cool inside - result yep I've got a chill.
Badger I think I will quit trying to grow caulis & cabbages that little beast called the white butterfly is leaving its calling card in the form of caterpillars and of the nine plants about four look like they may survive.
Take care everyone, John

Hi all,another sunny day here in manchester,its warmer than yesterday as well ,.Was really tired when I got home last night from work,so just chilled last night and today as they say.Been answering a few emails ,while John is watching the football on tv and david is out a the match(different teams).
The tea will be nearly done now so i had better go and check on it.Speak to you all soon.
brenda

Hi all,its sunny but really windy and very chilly here today/
Felt a lot better last night and this morning so have come into work.
Its been very steady and we have got a lot done.Going to be a little naughty and have a chippy dinner!!! the one next door is smashing.Take care
See you all tomorrow.Brenda

Welcome to the weekend ,one and all,from sunny Newcastle [not],where old Fred is working from his desktop vista puter .
All up and running ,pretty quick so far ,and bug free,i isssss chuffed to bits.
Liz has her 15" lappy upstairs so that she can get on line if she is unwell ,and unable to get up,and i have my H P 17" laptop down here to cover my needs if anyone in the room is on the desktop.
Now all i need is a new wi fi printer so that the missus can operate the printer from the bedroom too..
I am going to be pretty busy out back today ,sun or no .i have tons of seedlings to prick out ,and more seeds to put in.
The missus has finished the first of Seans wedding albums and there is one more to do ,before we do our own ,but blimey ,the ink we have gone through is no ones bussiness,but i do prefer hewlet packard printers with the printer heads built into the cartridges,no clogging or wearing out,so nice sharp images every time,even if the inks are a little more expensive than epson .
Think i had better clear up my mess before the missus gets up,he he ,cardboard every where and bits of styrene foam lol,looks like a hoover job ,any offers ?
Catch you later folks Fred.

Hi everyone,feeling a bit better today,still have earache and have been dizzy a few times,but the sneezing and coughing seemed be easing.
Should have been out to lunch and out again tonight but had to cancel.
Dorothy your weather sounds good and I hope the visit to your friends and the weekend with the children,both go well.
Keep having lots to drink but then need to pay a lot more visists,!!! so started using a smaller mug,to see if that helped.
Enjoy your weekends what ever you are doing.
Speak to you over the weekend.Brenda

hi brenda hope you feel better soon lots of folks over here have been down with colds etc and they seem to last for quite a while, fred you amaze me when you start talking about your computor wish I was as knowledgeble as you. we have had great weather for the last twodays in the middle 50's and to-morrow it mayhit 60, I am going down to brampton to see the group we have followed for years its ages since I have seen them due to the winter weather, will come back on saturday as I am having thw two older grandchildren over night while the youngest has a birthday party sleep over his birthday is tuesday but this worked out better plus it is his mom's birthday on saturday so it will be fun to have them overnight. I spoke to my half brother on sunday he was at home in scotland seems to be fine he is heading back to hull where he is working at the moment, I was having a wobble this evening sometimes this adoption thing as it happened so late in life bothers me so many unanswered questions but by to-morrow the wobble will be done with. hope that you all have a good week-end bye for now dorothy

Hi all.have not been around due to coming down with a really bad cold.Been off work as well as it is a corker,seems to have settled in my head giving me earache and dizzy spells!!
Even having them turning over in bed,got up to pay a visit and have been sneezing and cougthing again so came on here before getting a hot drink to sooth my throat and trying to sleep again.
Fred don't know what is wrong with your pc ,but you alwats seem to know what to do to correct things.
Be back when I am feeling better.take care <brenda

Still here folks lol,but i am having problems trying to take all my programmes off the xp desktop before it crashes and burns.
I thought i would be a clever bugger and d0wnload all my gear onto the external hard drive and just couple it up to the laptops in turn lol,whos'e a clever sony then ,trying to load xp files onto a vista laptop.oh the shame of it he he.
I finished up having to put all my files onto disc and do it that way,nearly losing half my research.
I have to empty the harddrive back into the xp and then delete it all so that i can start again with it coupled up to vista to be able to use the programmes again,o hum .
The weather is still lousy so i will be spending tomorrow in the greenhouse .
Catch you later peeps,Fred.

Hi all,yesterday was a really nice sunny day,today is chilly and grey!!
Been out looking at bathroom suite,and have seen three we like,all different prices so we need to see what extras we might need ,to get a final price along with the installation.
But feel like I am in for a heavy cold again have a banging headache and sore throat,will be on the hot toddys I think, as the honey lemon stuff is not doing anything!
Good luck with the balcony garden Dorothy the book will help and so i am sure will Fred.
Brenda

hi brenda glad the weather has improved for you sorry to hear the sad baby news always a difficult thing,looks like we are in for a lovely day weather wise for easter monday a mixed up day retail wise some things closed some open no mail but the banks are open the children are off school till to-morrow. I have been looking at at book on balcony gardening it was a gift to me a couple of years ago to see if I can decide what to put on the balcony. it is about 17feet long and about 7ft wide. and I get full sun most of the day (plus it is 11 stories up). maybe fred will have some good ideas. bye for now dorothy

Hi Everyone,hope you are all having a good easter.The weather is being good for us at last nice and sunny yesterday and today ,hope it stays the same tomorrow.
Glad your meal went well Dorothy and hope Lindys bil gets well soon.
We have only had sad news on the new baby front as Johns neice lost twins the week it was my birthday,she did not know she was pregnant ,she had changed pills the month before and was a bit mixed up with things.My cousins daughter has had a miscarriage at 6 months ,she was taken toa hospital some distance away which has a better reputation at stopping this sort of thing but no luck..
John has plante and replanted some of the tubs this weekend .I have been sorting drawers out ,I really must not put bags way without some sort of label I have found all sorts of things .
Going for a coffe now then will get the rest of the dinner on,theres only me and John so its very easy today/
Take care Brenda

hi everyone hope you all are enjoying the week-end we had a great dinner yesterday lindy cooked turkey with all the trimmings the weather was allright cool but sunny and this morning the sun is shining and the temp is about 11, brenda lindys brother in law is still in hospital in ottawa apparently they put a stent into the bile duct in england and unfortunatly it is not working like they expected ( this can happen not unusual) so they are doing more tests, we all thought they were due to go back this week-end but apparently they had planned to stay another week to sort out the schooling for the 3 children. jack the oldest is in a private school in lewes as he is classed as gifted so the school in ottawa that deals with children like this is full so they are looking into other options ie paying for him to go as a day student to a boarding school and then the other boy marcus is showing the same thing so who knows how it will turn out. this academic gene must come from lindy's side of the family sometimes I think it is more of a burden than a blessing to be classed as gifted. to-day I am going to have another wander around the garden centre still planning what I am going to do with the balcony reading about fred's garden is motivating me to take a better interest in plants etc I am sure john will enjoy the masters we are glued to it in my family when ever possible. my friend isobelle in brampton had some exciting news yesterday she knows that her daughter is expecting number 2 in august well her son and his wife told her that their first is on the way and due on nov 5 so two news one this year both of us working in obstetrics for all those years are nuts over babies so when I told my son and wife he said lindy isobelle has caught up with mom we better try for number 4 I won't write what her reply was but it went kind of like this you want another then you have it but a bit more colourfull!!! bye for now dorothy

Just a short message,fell asleep downstairs watching a film ,John was upstairs watching the golf!!!Came on to check messages as i have a few errands to do tomorrow nd might not have time .
Hope your Pc is ok Sylvia,and you do not need a new one.
Fred,you are so busy with your garden etc when and how do you relax.!!
Dorothy hope the meal went well and your daughter in laws, brother in law is well enougth to travel.
It been wet and grey here today hope it brightens up over the weekend ,but i can nt see it myself.
Fred, managed to sort out a couple of my drawers today,have a bag ot take to the charity shop next week.John has done the same but he is taking his stuff to someone he know who usually makes use of the shirts and jumpers he gives him.Also have a box of bric a brac and books,will have to get them taken asap,before I change my mind.!!!!
Hope you all have a great easter weekend what ever you have planned,and hope the weather stays good for everyone where ever you are/
take care ,Brenda.

Hi all,
Just want to wish you all very happy Easter and to let you know I'll be absent for a few days whilst our pc is at the doctors having a MOT.
I don't like the idea of them taking the pc away from me for Easter, but then again if they look at it quickly then I'll be very happy. It is not working as quickly as I would like it to.
It is then a question of what we will do, another pc or this one cleaned up.
Our USB stick doesn't work on this machine.
I visited our Garden Center today and bought lots of flowers for our window boxes. Please don't let there be any frost any more!
Until we meet again.
Sylvia xxx

Hiya ,one and all,the old pest is home,car fixed dinner [curry] made and eaten and the washing up done.
i have been out back ,put the 12 strawberry plants in ,three asparagus into buckets and three more buckets earmarked for another three.
I have decided to grow just two kinds of cabbage this year a summer ,and an autumn variety which should keep us going well into the new year.
Two sorts of carrots again,french bean ,leek,parsnip,swede,and the old asparagus which will keep us going until the new ones are ready to crop.
We have decided not to bother with cauli' this year ,they are cheap enough to buy
We are trying a new brussel.,a hybrid called Fortress,low growing, needing no supports,with medium size tight buttons, that stand well into February.
With the extra cabbage beans,and swede ,there is more than enough to keep us going.
Of course there are the tomatoes ,cucumber and strawberries which will make a welcome change too,so,all in all ,we should do very well..
Still too windy to get my palm in ,but no worry ,the weather will improve by next weekend ,he says hopefully.
Time to make the tea,a salad tonight,with a piece of Lasagne ,i think .
Catch you later peeps.Fred.

hi one and all I would like to wish you all a happy easter week-end we are having dinner to-morrow (tea supper) at andrew's just a small gathering including me and his dad, on saturday lindy and laura are going to kitchener to her mom's to be joined by her sister and family, as the ladies are going to a production of west side story so andrew and the boys are having a guy's week-end I presume his dad will stay over. they were to be joined by her other sister and family who are over from lewes england staying in ottawa and buying a house for the return to canada they have looked at 45 in one week and have bought one but the husband is in hospital with his third attack of pancreatitis so they may not make it to kitchener not sure if they were flying back to england on monday from toronto or ottawa plus mike may not be fit enough to be allowd to fly so some things are up in the air. never a dull moment but I am happy to report that the snow is melting the sky is blue and the temperature is to be 10 to-day and not a snow flake in the forecast fo the next week yippie. again happy easter bye for now dorothy

Jut thought you would like to know that i have now found the cable to attach my camera to the pc ,have been searching for days!! will ave me a trip to get anew one anyway.
Off to bed now ,see you all soon take care,brenda

Hi just a few quick lines ,just finished lunch .was v good with jacket potato and cottage cheese salad,then spoilt by having a slicce of choc fudge cake brought by my colleque.
Been quite today hope it stays sam this afternoon,as we are both tired I di not sleep with my sore knee and Mel has had a head cold for a day or two.
see you tomorrow.
Brenda

hi kathleen that price for new heating sounds ridiculous glad fred could give you some advice on more reasonable prices all this talk about planting vegatable sounds great I am taking all this advice to heart for when I am able to plant on the balcony. the car had about a foot of snow on it yesterday but it was the fluffy kind so cleaned off fast but later it got colder and the snow was hard but the boys cleaned off the car for me when I left last evening and cleared the double driveway for their mom, bryan the oldest tried to talk me into letting him use the snow blower quite a big machine but I said no was not sure that andrew allowed him to do that. I am heading over there again to-day and will be there till at least 10pm this evening Lindy has to attend a drama course for school. it is still snwoing but it is supposed to clear later. I am clinging to the fact that it is supposed to be a sunny easter week-end maybe this is winter's last blast. gosh I have to find something else to talk about you all must be bored with my weather reports bye for now dorothy

Hi Kathleen your new boiler should be no more than £3-500 and that includes installation,there are plenty of firms cheaper than the ridiculous price quoted by B Gas.
.Carrots and Parsnips are easy enough to grow,but choose a spot that was manured for last years crop whatever it was,do NOT use fresh manure in a seed bed or your carrots will fork every time.
Root veggies must NOT be transplanted, they will grow like corkscrews.
Any other sort of seedling will transplant okay,including beetroot.
Onion take a lot of care and can be difficult to grow,and i gave up growing them when i gave up the two allotments i had,all i grow now are spring onions which are easy enough. he he.
If you must grow onions ,choose a good strain of seed ,and either start them.late august the previous year ,or start them under cover in January.
Sets are easier to grow ,but keep well watered in the dry or they will bolt.
I find beef tomatoes very bland and prefer a variety such as moneymaker or ailsa craig pretty tasty and easy to grow.
Time now to go into my own greenhouse and get some seeds in ,lolFred.